Mykonos Town - Chora

Mykonos town, the “capital” of the island, also called Chora by the locals, is a typical Cycladic village built amphitheatrically. It has whitewashed cubic houses with wooden coloured doors, windows and balconies, narrow streets forming a labyrinth, beautiful churches, lovely chapels and purple bougainvilleas contrasting with the bright white of the buildings walls.

The heart of the city is closed to traffic during most of the day which make the walk among the labyrinth streets particularly agreeable, especially during early morning when the city is calmer for most of the people are at the beaches or still sleeping after a long night of clubbing.

Numerous cafes, chic boutiques, souvenir shops and fine jeweleries are helping the visitor to enjoy its days in the beautiful capital of Mykonos. Worth seeing in Chora, or Chora Mykonos, is the church complex of Panagia Paraportiani which has been recognized as a national cultural monument and is a superb representation of Cycladic architecture. Those beautiful churches are located on the hill of the old Venetian castle (Kastro).

The famous whitewashed windmills, trademark of the island, are standing on a hill overlooking the city and from where one can enjoy a magnificent view over the Little Venice which is one of the most beautiful parts of the capital and is located on a peak of land, like a small peninsula.

Another trademark of the island is Petros the pelican, usually located in Little Venice, he is quite the charmer and loves to pose for photographs be sure to look for him. This peak of land consists of two-storey Venetian houses of extremely bright colours, built very close one to another, with coloured wooden porches and balconies, lining the seafront, almost falling into the sea with the waves coming to break under them; all this scene forms a wonderful and unique image that charms every one by its incredible beauty and its magical atmosphere.

Many trendy cafes and bars are located in Little Venice which becomes a very noisy and lively area during night time. The capital also has an archaeological museum located between the port and the town, exposing various sculptures, vases and figurines coming from the islands of Delos and Rhenia. In the centre of the town one can find a nautical museum and a folklore museum which houses a collection of icons, furniture and folk musical instruments.

A great quantity of bars and nightclubs can be found in the capital, proving that the fame of Mykonos to be a party island is not just fame, it is a fact. As soon as the sun goes down, the capital's narrow streets fill with crowd ready to party and dance all night long.